Hold Your Fire [Remaster] - Rush (CD 1997)

Hold Your Fire is at the far end of the musical spectrum from 2112. The instruments are all balanced; the layering is thick and rich and the mood of the album is mellow, almost at peace with itself. But the messages are raging in their intensity. There s not a single weak song and all have a unique personality. This is also the only Rush album featuring an outside vocalist that I m aware of, and it is a testament to their confidence as musicians that Rush was willing to invite an outsider into their fold. I ve heard many a mean critique of this album, but none, in my mind, are accurate. Most criticize the laid back mood of this album, ignoring the fact that it fits the messages perfectly. The songs are all amazingly orchestrated. The musical sound that began with Signals is finally realized and perfected, just as Moving Pictures was the apex of their journey that started with Fly By Night.


Force Ten:
Rush s producer at the time of this album required 10 songs when the band was satisfied with 9, thus was born Force Ten . And it is to the fan s advantage that this song was included. It s an edgy song with an upbeat tempo and closer to rock than just about anything else on the album. Alternating between up tempo versus and ethereal, harmonic choruses, both heavily driven by synthesizer voices (to great effect), this song has plenty of dynamic interest to challenge you musically. Alex s solo is brief, but still gives the guitar fan something to cheer about.

Time Stand Still:
This tune opens with a nice guitar lick that sets up a tempo that keeps this song alive. The message is a common one--that we should all stop and appreciate life because even as we speak it is flying by us at the speed of light. This song features Aimee Mann of the band Till Tuesday. Her soft, soprano voice adds just the right tone to the chorus. The synthesizers are quiet in this piece and Alex gets to shine with some catchy runs and chords, though his tone is subdued, as it is throughout the album.

Open Secrets:
Synthesizer voices open this tune with a beautiful harmony. Alex contributes a simple lick that carries the tune along at a nice clip. But the lyrics are the inspired element here. Geddy sings about the gap in communication between two people, possibly lovers. Neil included lines that everyone is familiar with, such as: I never meant what you were thinking, that s not what I meant at all . The music, for the most part, is a distant backdrop, a layered milieu. But it aptly conveys the emotions of this tune and entertains the ears.

Second Nature:
Soft and complex, this song is well within ballad territory. But it s not like a ballad any other band would produce. Orchestral in it s composition, it sooths the ear and transports the listener to a tranquil musical realm. The message is an important one in any era, but particularly applicable to the here and now. Neil asks the question of who takes responsibility for their choices? Folks have got to make choices and choices got to have voices , he says. It s a valid topic that could lead to some interesting conversation after listening to this song. Lyrical content on this song is amazingly dense. It has just about the highest word count and yet isn t nearly the longest song on the album. Neil had a lot to say here and it is well worth considering.

Prime Mover:
Driven by powerful guitar licks and chords and expertly textured by synthesizer chords, this song strikes a terrific balance between peppy rock tune and melodic pop tune. This song exemplifies as well as any how Rush can bring the guitar and synthesizer together with astounding equilibrium.

Lock and Key:
This song is a warning about the killer instinct buried within us all, the instinct of self-preservation that has the potential to make us all primitive beasts if we aren t careful. Neil writes that he doesn t want to face this instinct in you, or himself, so we keep it locked within us. The musical tone of this song is decidedly more energetic and alternates between comfortable and menacing as Alex riffles through arpeggios.

Mission:
One of the moodier pieces on the album, Mission begins softly with keyboards backing Geddy s opening line Hold you fire , which just happens to be the album s title as well. This is indicative of Rush s philosophy, keeping the dream alive until it is realized. I love the message of how a person can be consumed by dreams, determined to follow them despite the cost in every day experiences. But many would be surprised how many of those who had accomplished their dreams might gladly trade places with the ordinary, sane individual. The topic of dreams and obsession seems to be a recurring theme with Neil.

Turn the Page:
One of the most powerful songs on the disk, musically. Alex plays some strong power chords and driving licks, giving this song an up beat tempo. This song examines truth and what it really is, a moving target, relative to personal experiences. We all try to discern the truth, but in turn disengage from the world.

Tai Shan:
Amazingly beautiful, this song celebrates centuries of Chinese culture. I can t imagine how other bands could include this song in a collection of political pop tunes, but Rush pulls it off. The instruments are used to mimic traditional Chinese instruments to great effect. Warning, this song is emotionally sweeping and can give you the chills.

High Water:
The opening drum lick is delicious, setting up a nice rhythm that carries through the piece. But this song is really about textures and layers, creating a setting for the imagination while Geddy pays homage to the frothy waters of the earth for bringing forth life and sustenance to all us land creatures. Very Darwinian. Creationists won t appreciate the meaning of this tune.

While this album is too soft for many Rush fans, it offers beginners an easy way to get to know the band. Once they ve experienced Neil s lyrics, they will likely wish to explore Rush s other musical escapades as well. Rush had already proven they could perfect the heavy metal genre, now they ve proven they can perfect the pop formula as well, and even improve upon it. I guess this is the element that most separates Hold Your Fire from Signals and Grace Under Pressure. The latter two albums were half-hearted attempts to abandon rock and enter the pop domain. Hold Your Fire rests comfortably within the pop realm, though not the same old tired formula one is used to seeing with other pop bands.